1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to a network based computer interaction and, more particularly, to generating a web-based user interface for a client device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems exist that enable a user to remotely access computer information, e.g., a database. In some instances a user will use a client device, e.g., cell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), lap top computer, application specific device, and the like, to connect via a network to a server hosting the information. Such devices have a predefined interface for accessing the computer information from the server. The interface may be created by a program or agent executing on the device; however, such programs or agents require substantial processing resources and memory availability which make them unsuitable for many devices. The interface, produced by such programs or agents, is static—the user enters data and/or queries in predefined fields.
More recently, to accommodate a wide range of devices, browsers have been used to launch web pages that form the interface to the computer information (i.e., web-based user interface). Although web-based user interfaces generally utilize less computer resources than application (program) based interfaces, the interface remains static, i.e., once created, the interface remains the same for each user. Such a static nature to the interface may impact worker productivity in that the interface cannot be easily optimized to their work habits.
Specifically, web pages are typically static (as predefined in HTML form) or dynamically generated using an application server (as in PHP or ASP form). This arrangement results in either a completely static web page, or a web page that must be rendered by the browser any time an update is made by the application server. Furthermore, anytime an update is made to the page, the application server must resend the entire page. This process is time consuming and may result in a sluggish and time consuming user experience.
Although applications exist which are capable of running interactive web sites, they typically require a large install, significant processing power, and a significant amount of data to be transmitted to and from the application server. These requirements make the applications unsuitable for uses on many types of devices, such as mobile devices. These devices are often limited to static interfaces for these reasons.
It would be advantageous if it were possible to access a web application through a user interface that does not require the installation of a large application or resending an entire web page. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a dynamic web user interface generator.